SOME EEMARKABLE CUSTOMS. 287 



her father-in-law, according to custom, which herein agrees 

 with that of the aristocratic peoples/^^ The Basuto custom 

 forbids a wife to look in the face of her father-in-law till the 

 birth of her first child,^ and among the Banyai a man must sit 

 with his knees bent in presence of his mother-in-law, and must 

 not put out his feet towards her.' 



Of this curious series of customs, I have met with no inter- 

 pretation which can be put forward with confidence. Their 

 object seems to be in general the avoidance of intercourse or 

 connexion between parents-in-law and children-in-law, some- 

 times to such an extent that one person may not look at the 

 other, or even pronounce his or her name. But the reasons 

 for this avoidance are not clear.* It is possible that a fuller 

 study of the law of tabu may throw some light on the matter. 

 The extraordinary summary of Fijian customs given by the 

 Rev. Thomas Williams, may be here quoted in full ; it is pro- 

 bably to be understood as taking in occasional or local prac- 

 tices. " A free flow of the affections between members of the 

 same family is further prevented by the strict observance of 

 national or religious customs, imposing a most unnatural re- 

 straint. Brothers and sisters, first cousins, fathers- and sons- 

 in-law, mothers- and daughters-in-law, and brothers- and sis- 

 ters-in-law, are thus severally forbidden to speak to each 

 other, or to eat from the same dish. The latter embargo ex- 

 tends to husbands and wives, — an arrangement not likely to 

 foster domestic joy.^' Elsewhere the same author says, " in 

 some parts, the father may not speak to his son after his fif- 

 teenth year."^ 



The fourth and last group of customs has long been under 

 notice, and lists have even been made of countries where prac- 

 tices belonging to it have been found.^ One of these prac- 



' Munzinger, pp. 325, 526. '^ Casalis, p. 201. ^ Livingstone, p. 622. 



* -See St. John, Harmon, and Franklin, locis citatis. Prof. Lazarus pertinently 

 suggests exaggeration of ordinary restrictions, and excessive reaction against the 

 patria potestas. 



5 Williams, ' Fiji,' vol. i. pp. 136, 1.66. See Mariner, vol. ii. p. 147. 



^ M'CuUoh, Eesearches ; Baltimore, 1829, p. 99. Waitz, Anthropology, vol. i, 

 p. 257. Humboldt & Bonpland, E. Tr., vol. vi. p. 333, Lafitau, vol. i. p. 49, 



